Cryocoolers are often used to cool various devices or systems. One type of cryocooler includes a compressor that creates fluid flow into and out of a pulse tube. The pulse tube is typically connected to a surge volume, often by an inertance channel. During part of the thermodynamic cycle, fluid flows into the surge volume through the inertance channel. During another part of the thermodynamic cycle, fluid flows out of the surge volume through the inertance channel.
In order to optimize a cryocooler that uses a pulse tube, the inertance channel's length and diameter are typically designed so that the resonance frequency of the pulse tube matches the compressor's drive frequency. Often times, a resonant mode of a larger system that uses the cryocooler lies at a harmonic of the compressor's drive frequency, which can create problems. Because the behavior of a larger system may not be known or predicted accurately ahead of time, it is often inevitable that these problems arise. In some conventional systems, this is solved by retuning the pulse tube, which involves redesigning the cryocooler's surge volume and inertance channel. However, this often results in increased costs and delays.